PRESS RELEASE : DLUHC announces Chief Scientific Adviser appointment [January 2023]

Following a rigorous recruitment campaign Professor Richard Prager has been appointed to the role, succeeding Professor Alan Penn. Professor Prager is currently Head of the Department of Engineering at Cambridge University and Academic Director of Cambridge Online Education. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Engineering & Technology, and of Queens’ College Cambridge.

In this role Professor Prager will support the science and engineering profession in the department, offer advice on specific initiatives and work with other CSAs across government to enable work to be informed by appropriate data and scientific principles.

Commenting on his appointment, Professor Richard Prager said:

I am delighted to be joining the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and to have a chance to build on the strong scientific and engineering foundations that Professor Alan Penn has created. I will be particularly interested to contribute to the department’s work in sustainable housing, building safety and the integration of evidence across different aspects of society. I am also looking forward to collaborating with CSAs from other departments on broader strategic projects.

The team of government chief scientific advisers aim to ensure, through advising ministers and senior officials, policy decisions are evidence-based and supported by the highest-quality scientific evidence and understanding.